University to Close at 5 p.m. Tuesday (March 3)

The University will close at 5 p.m. today (Tuesday, March 3). All evening classes
scheduled to start at, or after, 5 p.m. are canceled. Food service will be open until
8 p.m. in Connecticut Hall, and until midnight in the Adanti Student Center.

Liberal Education Program (LEP)

What do you need to be successful in today's society, and in the future? What does
it take to become an engaged citizen in the world?

These are big questions, but they are the kinds of questions you will begin to think
about as you embark upon your college experience.

We know the world through words, numbers, sound, and images. We need to be able to
think critically about them, and to understand the new technologies that bring them
to us. Without these tools -- critical thinking and a grasp of technology -- we can't
be competitive in today's workplace.

With students' needs in mind, the faculty at Southern Connecticut State University
has developed a new curriculum that will prepare SCSU undergraduates for the 21st
century. The Liberal Education Program, or LEP, will be required for all students
entering the university in fall 2011. Building on what you've learned in school so
far, the LEP will take you where you need to go to be successful as a college student
and beyond.

How Does the LEP Relate to the Major?

Students need a wide and deep foundation upon which to build a more specialized major.
In today's world, it's especially important that we're prepared in broad and rich
ways in order to make a life as well as make a living. The LEP complements the major
and establishes the importance of a balanced education for making a living and making
a life in a constantly changing world.

The LEP is sequential, based on building blocks known as Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3.
Here's how it works:

Academic expectations are different in college than they are in high school. Tier
1 builds a college-level foundation so that you have the skills you need to succeed
in your university courses. In your Tier 1 courses, you'll strengthen your quantitative
and literacy skills -- skills you will need in any career you choose to pursue.

The LEP Capstone Seminar integrates your skills (Tier 1) and areas of knowledge and
experience (Tier 2) with discussions of values. It addresses both the role of values
in decision-making and relationships among the values. Particular focus is on a substantial
contemporary issue and how values inform one's perspective on the issue. The course
emphasizes all of the skills you've acquired, but especially critical thinking with
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The LEP seminar allows students to integrate
their liberal education learning experiences and may involve a community or service
component.

Why a Liberal Education Program?

Southern is not unique in developing a Liberal Education Program for its students
-- many forward-thinking universities in the United States are creating similar programs
as they consider what their students will need to succeed after graduation.